Cash register



E. J. VON PEIN CASH REGISTER Filed July 24, 1922 Dec. 14 1926.

3 Sheets-Shae t 1 a'nvewtoz EDWARD .Von PEI By ui/ W Hi" Ho 1 a Dec. 14,1926. i 1,610,537

E. J. VON PEIN CASH REGISTER Filed July 24, 1922 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 14, 1926. 1,610,537

7 E. J. VON PEIN CASH REGISTER Filed July 24, 1922 3 s t ..s 3

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' 3 D 6) C Q) amwmtoz we w Hi, Gum/M1 Patented 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. VON IEIN, O1 DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPCRATION OF MARYLAND.

CASH REGISTER.

implication filed July 24, 182

This invention relates to improvements in cash registers and has more particular relation to the release mechanism therefor.

It is an object of this invention to provide means for compelling the selection of a taX or no tax key before a release of the machine can be effected.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a release mechanism. in order to operate which, it is necessary to manipulate three distinct devices, to select the clerks totalizer, the amount of tax, and to depress a release key.

A further object is to make it necessary to operate the manipulative devices in a certain sequence.

lVith these and incidental. objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification.

Of said figures:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through the ma chine between the units and tens of cents tax keys and shows the main operating mechanism and one of the locking devices which enforce a sequence of operation.

Fig. 2 is sectional view through the machine between the dimes and dollars price keys, and shows the mechanism by which the final releasing movement is accomplished.

Fig. 3 is a detail front view showing part of the locking mechanism and the means by which it is made ineffective.

Fig. 1 shows the arrangement of the keyboard.

Fig. 5 is a detail, partly in section, illustrating the motor clutch and the releasing mechanism therefor.

The invention is shown applied to a well known type of machine now on the market, a complete description of which is to he found in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 530,373, granted April 13, 1897 to Joseph P. Cleal, together with the Patent No. 703,639, granted July 1, 1902 to Thomas Carroll, but it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to many other types of machines, and is shown applied to the particular type referred to merely for conven= ience.

Serial No. 576.921.

Described in general terms the machine to which the present invention is applied C0112- prises a plurality of banks of amount keys (Fig. 1) and tax keys 12 (Fig. 1) mounted on arcuate frames and adapted to he mans ually depressed against the tension of springs 1.1. A driving shaft 13 supports a plural ity of registering segments 15, one for each bank of keys, said segments being journaled loosely on the shaft 13 and being adapted to be operated by driving segments 16, of which there is one for each registering segment. The driving segments have notches 17 near their upper ends and are provided with depending extensions 18 adapted to engage projections 19 of the segments to restore saiil segments to normal position. The shaft 13 is rocked by a crank arm 20 connected by a pin 21 to a link 22 which is connected to a crank a1- a 23 rigidly mounted on a main shaft 24 adapted to be given a complete rotation at each operation of the machine.

Mounted on the segments 15 are latches 25 which are connected to the segments by links 26 and 27 pivoted respectively on pins 28 and 29 on the segments 15, said latches 25 being thereby allowed to move in a radial direction from the shaft 13. At the rear ends of the latches 25 are proiections 30 adapted to engage the recessed shoulders 17 of the segments 16. Each latch 25 carries a latch pawl 31 which is adapted to engage the inner end of whichever one of the keys has been depressed. Engagement of the pawl 31 with a depressed key breaks the latch 25 and thereby disconnects the segment 15 from the segment 16 in a manner well known in the art.

The segment 15 has teeth out in its periphery which mesh with the teeth of an intermediate gear 32 rotatably mounted on a shaft 33 or one of the sleeves 341-. This intermediate gear in turn meshes with a pin ion not shown) which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 35 and which is also secured to an indicator wheel 36. The intern'iedialc gear 32 also meshes with a gear 37 loosely mounted on a shaft 38. A pinion 39 loosely mounted on a shaft 10, supported by arms 11 fixed on a shaft 42, is adapted to be rocked into engagement with the gear 43 secured to gear 37 and a similar gear 44 secured to the totalizer wheel to transfer the movement of the gear 37 to the totalizcr wheeh Some of the. teeth of the gear &3 for the bank eon taining the No tax and One dollar tax key are removed so that no movement will be l'ransn'iitted to the tax totalizer when the l? o tax key is depressed, and but one step of movement when the One dollar key is d"- pressed.

It can be seen, therefore, from Fig. 1 that when the register is operated the segment 15 will be engaged by the depending pro jection 18 of the segment 16 and returned to normal position at which point the latch carried by the segment 15 will become effective to couple the segment 15 to the segment 16. The segment 16 is then moved in a clockwise direction and carries the segment 15 with it until the pawl 31 on the segment 15 comes into contact with the inner end of the depressed key 10 when the latch 25 Will be given a forward movement, thereby disconnecting the segment 15 from the segment 15. The differential movement thus given to the segments 15 is transmitted to the indicators 36 and the totalizer gear 44 through the intermediate gear 32 and connections which have been described.

The present machine is equipped with a printing mechanism which is described in the patent to Von Pein, No. 1,198,492, granted Sept. 19, 1916, so only a brief description of the means by which the differential movement of the segment 15 is imparted to the printing elements is all that will be given herein. Each of the segments 15 carries a pin 45 engaging in a curved slot 46 in an arm 47 fixed on the left hand end of one of the sleeves 49. There one of these arms 47 for each of the segments 15 of the price and tax banks and for a segment for the transaction bank, the arm for the latter being secured to the rod 48. Each of the sleeves 49 and the shaft 48 carries on its right hand end a segment gear (not shown) which is adapted to operate suitable type wheels. It is apparent that when the segment 15 is given its differential movement the pin 45 which projects through the slot 46 will move down in the slot and thereby rock the arm 47 clockwise, and by means of this arm and its corresponding sleeve and segment gear impart to the printing elements the same differential movement which has been given to the segment 15.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings is arranged for the convenience of merchants who sell articles on which there is a tax. The machine is equipped with three banks of amount keys, these keys being in the three right hand'banks of the machine. The next group of three banks of keys to the left is for registering the tax. The left hand bank of this group comprises a One dollar key and a No tan key, the middle bank dime keys and the right hand bank units of cents keys. 7

To the left of the tax keys is a transaction bank comprising Cash, Charge, Recd on acct and Paid out keys 14. To the left of the transaction bank is a lever 50 for controlling the positioning of a totalizer reel (not shown). The totalizer reel and its operating mechanism are also well known in the art, being described and illus trated in Letters Patent of the United States issued to E. J. Von Pein, No. 938,527, on Nov. 2, 1909, and therefore but a brief description will be given herein.

The tot-alizer reel mechanism consists of a cylindrical carrier having mounted in its periphery a plurality of totalizers which are adapted to be brought into engagement with operating segments fixed on the left hand ends of the shaft 33 and sleeves 34, there being one segment for each bank of amount or price keys. As the segments are secured on the shaft 33 and sleeves 34 the differential movement of the segments 15 will be transmi ted thereto by means of the intermediate gears 32.

The main totalizer is divided between the third and fourth banks, the right hand division being operated by the amount or price keys, while the left hand division is controlled by the banks of tax keys. The specific construct-ion of these totalizers forms no part of the present invention, and as it is well known in the art no description thereof is thought necessary.

in the construction shown and described herein the first step toward releasing the machine is given to the releasing mechanism by the pinch lever 50, by which the totalizer reel is positioned to select the clerks totalizer. A full description of the pinch lever and the connections by which its operation acts on the releasing mechanism is given in Letters Patent of the United States issued to Kettering and Chryst, No. 1,144,418, on June 29, 1915. A brief description, however, will be included herein for the sake of clarity.

When the pinch lever is pinched a bar 51 will be depressed to rock a shaft 52 (Fig. slightly in a clockwise direction by means of the connections shown and described in the Kettering and Chryst patent. Secured to the shaft is a rearwardly extending arm 53, which at its rear end carries an upwardly extending projection which coop crates with an anti-friction roller 54 mounted on one of two toggle arms 55 and 56. It is evident that when the pinch lever is pinched the arm 53 will be slightly elevated and will thereby elevate the two toggle arms. The toggle arm 56 is journaled on a pin 5'? while the arm 55 is carried by a pin 58 forming a floating pivot. In the normal position of the parts a straight line from pivot 57 to pivot 58 passes above a connecting pin 59 of the two toggle arms but the movement of the arm 53, before referred to,

serves to rock the toggle arms so that the pivot :39 is above the straight line joining the pivots 7 and Further movement of the toggle may then be given by a coiled spring which moves a crank arm 61 moi'mted on a stub shaft 62. said crank arm also cooperating with the toggle arm by means of a link 105 pivoted to the toggle arm by means of the pin 58 and supported on an arm i'iXed to a shaft 78. The spring is normally under tension and tends to rock the crank arm 61 in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 5, but such movement is prevented by the toggle when the pivot center is below the points 57 and 58. lVhen the center pivot of the toggle is raised above the straight line joining the pivots :37 and 58, the spring would move the system of levers further if it were not for the mechanism yet to be described.

'lhe machine is adapted to be linalv leased by the operation of a special key 65 (Fig. whien is located between the -e end and third banks oi mount keys from the right of the machine. The special key ($5 is mounted on the end of a mei which at its ,Xtreme rear *nd is bifurcated to slide on a shaft 67. The in mher (it; at its forward end has a slot (38 surrounding a rhort shaft 6*?) which supports it. A pin '70 mounted transverely on the key (55 and is adapted to engage with an inclined portion 71 of a slot 72 in a detent plate 73 which is supported by short rods 69 and 7t and permitted to slide thereon by means oi slots 76 and 7 When the sp cial key is depressed the pin v engage th inclined surface 71 of the slot 42 and raise the detent 73 againstthe tension of a spring 110. At its upper end the detent 73 carries a. half round stud 77. I on the shaft 78 is an arm 79 which carries at. its end two pawls 80 and 81 (Fig. 2).

ll hen the pinch lever is pinched and the toggle broken the shaft 78 (Fig. 2) is given a slight clockwise owillation. The arm 70 secured to the shaft 78 is stopped in its lockwise mo -lament by the engagement of he pawl 80 with the flat side of the half carried h the detent plate i l The pawl 81. is in the pawl. 80 and therehey 65 is depressed. to 73 moves the half round vi the pawl Si and rork it on it= m in a clockwise dire thin clear the slightly l lo e who and tl ori until the stud ha. d the end or ,awl 90. \Vhen thi.. is accomplished the arm 79, which. through shaft. 78. link 10.3. sl'iaft and crank arm 61. is under tension of the spring 60. will be rocked in a clockwise direction viewed in Fig. by the spring (30. thereby releasing the machine.

The operation above described is what would oidinarily take place in the release described.

Tour lea y 171. cc /'1 air/am Located between the third and fourth b... 1'- s of keys, (()iil1i'ln from the right m le o f the machine. \S :1 depending arm 87 (Furs. l and 3) which is loesel mounted on a rod 2% and which at its lo 1. end curiae: a pin i engaging in a slot in the upper end of an arm 90 'wl i'ch is rigidly mounted on a haft 91. As snown in the Cleal and Heinhard patent each bank of keys has a retain Eng bar 9:2 which is forket at its rear end to straddle the shaft 13 and at its forward end is supported by 1 pin 93 extending through a slot 9dr in the bar. A spring 95, attached to the rear end of the bar and secured at its other end to a rod in the machine fran'ie, is normally under tension and tends to move the retaining bar in rearward direction. lVhen a key is depressed toe in her beveled end of the l'cey ten engages a beveled suriaee 96 on a detent plate 97 which at its lower end cooperates with a notch in the retaining bar 92 to prevent rearward movement thereof. This movement of the key raises the detent plate a suiiicient distance to release the retaining bar and allow it to move, rearwzzrdly. under the influence of the spring 95. beneath the lower end of the detent and thereby retain the detent in its raised position. The retaining bar 92 carries an anti-friction roller 98 which en gages with a flat surface on the upper end of an arm 99 lived on shaft 5)]. ll hen the retaining; bar is permitted to move rearward the anti-friction roller engages the flat urface and rocks the arm in a clockwise direction thereby also rocking ih, 9U clockwise. Secured to the shaft 79 is an arm 100 (Figs. 1 and 3). whirh at its forward end is bent at right angles tlwreto to engage the shoulder on the 'crward edge of the arm 87. It is ap 'iureut from Fig. I that the shaft 73, oscillation of vvhirh is ncce-isary to release the machine. cannot be o"'cillated while the end of the arm 100 rests against the shoulder on the arm 87. Each bank of tax keys has. of course. its retaining bar. and each bank is also provided with the arm 99 cooperating with the stud 98 on the retaining bar so that any tax key which may be depressed will rock the shaft 91 and thereby through the arm 90 move the- Sl'lOUlClQl' on the arm 87 out of engagement with the forward end of the arm 100 and thereby permit the shaft 78 to be rocked to its full extent and release the machine.

Operation.

In the machine as shown herein, the operation, then, will be as follows. The amount of keys representing the amount of the sale will first be depressed, then the amount of the tar; will be entered on the tax keys. The pinch lever will then be operated to bring the correct clerks reel totalizer into operative relation with the main operating mechanism and also to break the toggle in the releasing mechanism, and finally the special release key will be depressed, which will release the machine. It is not essential that the tar: keys be depressed before the pinch lever is pinched, or that the opera tion be vice versa, as in either-case the machine will not be released until the special ey is depressed. If the pinch lever is operated first the toggle will be broken and the shaft 78 and arm 79 will be rocked clockwise (Fig. 2) and counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 5, but not far enough to release the machine when the half round stud 77 is moved into engagement with the nose of the pawl 81, as the movement of the rod 78 is limited by the shoulder on the arm 87 and the arm 100. If, on tie other hand, a tax key is depressed first, the shoulder on the arm 87 will be rocked out of engagement with the forward end of the arm 100. However, as the toggle has not yet been broken the shaft 78 is held against rotation by the toggle and will not rotate even though the special release key is depressed. Therefore it is necessary to depress a Tax or No tax key and to operate the pinch lever before the special key can be operated to release the driving mechanism.

The parts are returned to normal position in the following manner. A cam 102 (Fig. 5) is secured to a shaft 24 and is given one complete rotation at every operation of the machine. It is adapted to cooperate with an anti-friction roller 103 mounted near the pivot 59 between the toggle arms 55 and 56. Near the end of the operation the cam 102 engages the roller 103 and forces the pivot 59 below the center of the pivots and 58. This movement of the toggle arms and 56, through link 105, rocks the shaft 78 clockwise (Fig. 5). As the arm 79 is fixed on shaft 78, it is rocked counterclockwise (Fig. 2), upon which movement the half round stud 77 engages the pawl 80.

The pawl being movable in a counterclockwise direction against the resistance of a spring (not shown), it may rock on its pivot as it is carried below the stud 77, when it will snap back to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2. The release of the stud 77 from between the pawls 80 and 81 permits the detent 7 3 to return to normal position and thereby release the special key 65, which is then moved to its outward position by a spring 106.

The arm 100 is secured to the shaft 78 and is therefore rocked counter-clockwise (Fig. 1) with the shaft. The retaining bars 92 are returned to normal by the engagement, near the end of the operation of the machine, of a cam arm 115 secured to the rock shaft 13 with studs 107 on said bars. They are forced forward a su'iiicient distance to permit the detents 97 to drop into their respective notches in the retaining bars. Upon this forward movement of the retaining bars 92 the studs 98 are moved from their engagement with the arms 99. These arms are then free to rock counterclockwise (Fig. 1). This movement is effected by a spring 108 which is secured at one end to the machine frame and at the other to the arm 90. As this arm is fixed on the shaft 91 the shaft and arms 99 are also moved as described above.

As the arm is pivotally connected to the arm 87, movement of the arm 90 will rock arm 87 clockwise (Fig. l) and move the shoulder on this arm again into position above the arm 100, which has been returned to normal position, and thereby prevent operation of the machine until another tax key is depressed.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

hat is claimed is:

The combination of a plurality of banks of manipulative devices, a shaft normally locked against movement, an arm secured to the shaft, a member having a shoulder adapted to cooperate with said arm, means for releasing said shaft to permit the arm to engage the shoulder, and a device operated from any one of the manipulative devices for disengaging said shoulder from saic. arm.

in testimony whereof I atih; my signature.

E-DVJARD J. VON PEIN. 

